PATI - The Pati Regency Government (Pemkab), Central Java, prioritizes river normalization as the main step in overcoming annual flooding that often hits a number of areas during the rainy season. The dredging and narrowing of the river channel is considered the main cause of the overflow of water discharge.
Acting Regent of Pati Risma Ardhi Chandra said that the decreased river capacity due to sedimentation made it easy for water to overflow into residents' settlements when it rained heavily.
"The problem of flooding in Pati is one of them because the river is dredged. Therefore, normalization is a step that must be taken immediately so that the flow of water flows smoothly," said Risma, quoted by Antara Thursday, January 29.
He ensured that the normalization of the Juwana River would be carried out immediately this year. The Regency Government has prepared heavy equipment to accelerate sediment dredging and widening of the river channel.
"For the normalization of the Juwana River this year, we are immediately working on it. Heavy equipment is ready so that the water holding capacity can increase and the risk of flooding can be reduced," he said.
In addition to short-term handling through normalization, the Pati Regency Government also proposed a long-term solution in the form of the construction of the Silugonggo River sodetan. The sodetan is designed to be about 11 kilometers long with a width of 9 to 10 meters to divert excess water discharge during the rainy season.
"The construction of the Silugonggo River sodetan is a long-term solution. It is about 11 kilometers long and about 9 to 10 meters wide," explained Risma.
The plan has been presented to the Pemali Juana River Basin Agency (BBWS) and the Ministry of Public Works and Housing (PUPR). The Regency Government hopes that the project can be realized in the near future.
Not only physical improvement of the river, the Regency Government also carries out mitigation efforts from upstream through a greening program in the Kendeng Mountains area. This step is taken to reduce surface water runoff and reduce the risk of erosion that triggers river sedimentation.
"We have coordinated with the village head and distributed plant seeds such as coffee, avocado, and other types for greening in the Kendeng area," he said.
Risma hopes that the combination of river normalization, sodetan development, and upstream greening can be a comprehensive solution in reducing annual flooding in Pati Regency.
"Hopefully, with the river returning to normal and greater water capacity, annual flooding can be suppressed gradually and sustainably," he concluded.
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